Citation

Bonneh-Barkay D, Zagadailov P, Zou H, Niyonkuru C, Figley M, Starkey A, Wang G, Bissel SJ, Wiley CA, Wagner A. J. Neurotrauma 2010; 27(7): 1215-1223.

Affiliation

University of Pittsburgh, Pathology, 200 Lothrop St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213; bonnehbarkayd@upmc.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2010.1310

PMID

20486806

PMCID

PMC2942903

Abstract

YKL-40 (chitinase 3-like 1) is expressed in a broad spectrum of inflammatory conditions and cancers. We have previously reported that YKL-40 levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of macaques and humans with lentiviral encephalitis as well as Multiple sclerosis (MS). The current study assessed temporal CSF YKL-40 levels in subjects with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS<8). We also evaluated temporal expression of YKL-40 after parasagittal controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury over parietal cortex (2.8mm; 4 m/s). We demonstrate that CSF YKL-40 levels are elevated after acute TBI and that YKL-40 levels are higher in patients who died following injury than patients who survived. YKL-40 levels significantly correlate with CSF levels of inflammatory cytokines like IL-1 and TNF as well as the inflammatory marker c-reactive protein. After CCI, in situ hybridization (ISH) showed that YKL-40 transcription is primarily associated with reactive astrocytes in pericontusional cortex. Tissue YKL-40 transcription time course analysis after CCI showed that YKL40 transcription in astrocytes began one day after injury, remained elevated for several days, and then declined by day 12. Similar to our temporal CSF measurement in humans, YKL-40 induction after CCI is coincident with IL-1beta expression. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that YKL-40 is induced in astrocytes during acute neuroinflammation, temporally related to inflammatory mediator expression, and may be a useful biomarker for understanding secondary injury and for patient prognosis.

Language: en